Healthcare professionals who tended to the medical needs of the New Orleans community in the wake of Hurricane Katrina will be recognized by the Foundation for the ATS at its second annual dinner benefitting the Society’s Research Program on Saturday, May 15, at 7 p.m. The dinner will take place at the Marriott New Orleans French Quarter Hotel, located at 555 Canal Street.
Among natural disasters, Hurricane Katrina ranks among the worst in U.S. history. Fortunately, however, it brought out the best in many people who lived or worked in the city and who were in a position to help, as well as in others living elsewhere who assisted the residents of the city in various ways.
Shortly after the disaster, the ATS decided to hold its 2010 conference in the “Big Easy” to show solidarity with the city’s residents. That’s why the theme of this year’s dinner is “Breathing Easy in the Big Easy.”
“Many ATS members walked away from their private practices to provide care for those who were in need,” said Bennett deBoisblanc, M.D., who was medical director of the ICU at Charity Hospital in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005, and who will give the keynote address at the inaugural ATS International Conference Opening Ceremony (see the related story ICU Physician to Give Keynote at Opening Ceremony).
The Foundation will recognize not only those who stayed to care for the sick in the city’s hospitals and emergency shelters, but also those who made sure the hurricane’s refugees in Baton Rouge, Houston and other cities were cared for; the pharmaceutical companies that responded by getting medical supplies to patients in need; and those institutions that made sure that the future of the healthcare profession in the city was maintained by providing temporary quarters for medical and health education.
“It would be impossible to recognize everyone who volunteered to help, often at the risk of their own safety and well-being,” said Jeffrey L. Glassroth, M.D., chair of the ATS Foundation Board of Trustees. “But we’re going to try by identifying representatives of the many different groups who responded with courage and compassion.”
The Foundation formed a steering committee to represent the various groups who were involved in the Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts. Members are also producing a video, which includes actual footage that highlights the medical/research community’s heroic response. Examples include scenes from triage, the airlifting of patients and how medical students from the University of New Orleans were relocated to a boat in Baton Rouge. The video also will highlight some of the city’s recovery efforts and focus on the empowerment of the medical community as it rebuilds and continues to create innovation in patient care. During the dinner, the video will be shown and the prestigious “Breathing for Life” award, which honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the fields of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, will be presented.
Proceeds from the benefit dinner will fund new awards in the ATS Research Program. “Our primary goal is to award grants to young investigators striving to advance the medical community’s understanding of a wide range of pulmonary disease, critical illnesses and sleep disorders,” said Foundation Director Lydia Neumann. “The annual dinner raises funds through the generous support of individual contributors, as well as corporate supporters.”
The dinner will feature New Orleans food and music.
About the ATS Foundation
The Foundation of the American Thoracic Society is a philanthropic 501(c)(3) arm of the ATS that raises funds for worldwide research and education related to improving the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory, critical care and sleep-related disorders.
To purchase tickets, please visit http://foundation.thoracic.org/web/2010-research-dinner.html.